Animal rescue group in Cliffside Park finds it now needs some help

CLIFFSIDE PARK — A wire haired terrier named Molly had mange so bad that her skin was cracked and bloody and she was barely distinguishable as a dog to animal rescue workers.

CHRIS PEDOTA / staff photographer

Volunteer Diane Errichiello, with a stray dog that was found in Teaneck, is joined by Animal Control Officer Vince Ascolese in the cramped kennel portion of the shelter.

When a pit bull called Hope was found, she weighed an impoverished 16 pounds and was curled up in a corner of a Bogota house. Her owners had just been charged with domestic violence.

CHRIS PEDOTA / staff photographer

Animal Control Officer Vince Ascolese holds up two kittens, which are up for adoption.

CHRIS PEDOTA / staff photographer

Eight-week-old puppies, along with their mother, arrived at the shelter Saturday night from Virginia.

These are just two of the animals that the Bergen County Protect and Rescue Foundation has come to the aid of in recent months. But now the non-profit shelter is appealing for help of its own: Two transport vehicles the shelter uses for adoption events broke down this summer and are in desperate need of replacement, rescue workers say.

"They died completely — gone, kaput," said Diane Errichiello, a shelter volunteer. "We have one that's barely holding on, and it's not going to last much longer."

For the past two years, the no-kill shelter has taken in cats and dogs from eastern Bergen County who were abandoned, neglected or scheduled to be euthanized at other locations. Last year, it adopted out 235 animals and is on track to reach 300 this year.

Finances are tight, as is the case with many rescue organizations. Operating expenses for the shelter, at 302 2nd Street, run close to $11,000 a month, said Vince Ascolese, the founder. Veterinary bills, including in Molly's case, can reach into the thousands. The group gets some of that back in adoption fees but relies heavily on donations.

Ascolese, who also runs an animal control company, has subsidized countless repairs to the transport vans, but one became unusable after reaching 280,000 miles and after an engine blew on the other last month he decided it wasn't worth another costly fix.

He said he started the shelter in 2012 because he saw a pressing need in the area for an organization that didn't euthanize animals. It receives the animals rescued by workers in his company, Bergen County Humane Enforcement, which contracts with nine towns and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for animal control services. The towns are Bogota, Cliffside Park, Elmwood Park, Englewood Cliffs, Fairview, Fort Lee, Palisades Park, Teaneck and Woodland Park.

The shelter has seen its fair share of horror stories over such a short time.

Molly, who is about 2 years old, was found roaming Bergen Boulevard in Cliffside Park, her fur mostly gone and skin covered in blisters.

"She looked like a Perdue chicken left out in the sun for a week," Ascolese said.

Now, after three and a half months of veterinary care and constant monitoring, she is almost ready for adoption.

In another neglect case, a man in Fort Lee asked a veterinarian to euthanize a 5-year-old schnauzer who he no longer wanted after breaking up with his girlfriend, Ascolese said. The dog, who is blind, was suffering from a terrible ear infection. Instead of putting the animal down, the vet contacted the shelter and its executive director, Kristi Heller, found a home for the animal.

Animal drop-offs and surrenders have been all-too-common occurrences for the group, Ascolese said. Early last month, the shelter took in a schnauzer and her puppy who were found in a crate abandoned on a street corner in West New York, he said. They have since been adopted.

And last week, Ascolese found himself consoling a heartbroken 13-year-old boy and his mother who had to surrender Shon, a 2-year-old schnauzer. The boy's father left the country, forcing them to move to a small apartment where a landlord decided, despite earlier promises, that animals were prohibited.

Many of the cases are a sad reminder of human cruelty, Ascolese said.

"It's a lot of weight to carry, it's a heavy burden, but we welcome the challenge and we do it on a daily basis," he said.

The Bergen County Protect and Rescue Foundation is seeking volunteers and accepting monetary and vehicle donations. It is looking for two new or lightly used cargo vans or pickup trucks that can support a 1,000-pound dog carrying box. The shelter is asking only for American-made, air-conditioned vehicles.

To donate, call the shelter at 201-945-0649 or visit www.bcrescues.org/donate.html.

Eight-week-old puppies, along with their mother, arrived at the shelter Saturday night from Virginia.

These are just two of the animals that the Bergen County Protect and Rescue Foundation has come to the aid of in recent months. But now the non-profit shelter is appealing for help of its own: Two transport vehicles the shelter uses for adoption events broke down this summer and are in desperate need of replacement, rescue workers say.

"They died completely — gone, kaput," said Diane Errichiello, a shelter volunteer. "We have one that's barely holding on, and it's not going to last much longer."

For the past two years, the no-kill shelter has taken in cats and dogs from eastern Bergen County who were abandoned, neglected or scheduled to be euthanized at other locations. Last year, it adopted out 235 animals and is on track to reach 300 this year.

Finances are tight, as is the case with many rescue organizations. Operating expenses for the shelter, at 302 2nd Street, run close to $11,000 a month, said Vince Ascolese, the founder. Veterinary bills, including in Molly's case, can reach into the thousands. The group gets some of that back in adoption fees but relies heavily on donations.

Ascolese, who also runs an animal control company, has subsidized countless repairs to the transport vans, but one became unusable after reaching 280,000 miles and after an engine blew on the other last month he decided it wasn't worth another costly fix.

He said he started the shelter in 2012 because he saw a pressing need in the area for an organization that didn't euthanize animals. It receives the animals rescued by workers in his company, Bergen County Humane Enforcement, which contracts with nine towns and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for animal control services. The towns are Bogota, Cliffside Park, Elmwood Park, Englewood Cliffs, Fairview, Fort Lee, Palisades Park, Teaneck and Woodland Park.

The shelter has seen its fair share of horror stories over such a short time.

Molly, who is about 2 years old, was found roaming Bergen Boulevard in Cliffside Park, her fur mostly gone and skin covered in blisters.

"She looked like a Perdue chicken left out in the sun for a week," Ascolese said.

Now, after three and a half months of veterinary care and constant monitoring, she is almost ready for adoption.

In another neglect case, a man in Fort Lee asked a veterinarian to euthanize a 5-year-old schnauzer who he no longer wanted after breaking up with his girlfriend, Ascolese said. The dog, who is blind, was suffering from a terrible ear infection. Instead of putting the animal down, the vet contacted the shelter and its executive director, Kristi Heller, found a home for the animal.

Animal drop-offs and surrenders have been all-too-common occurrences for the group, Ascolese said. Early last month, the shelter took in a schnauzer and her puppy who were found in a crate abandoned on a street corner in West New York, he said. They have since been adopted.

And last week, Ascolese found himself consoling a heartbroken 13-year-old boy and his mother who had to surrender Shon, a 2-year-old schnauzer. The boy's father left the country, forcing them to move to a small apartment where a landlord decided, despite earlier promises, that animals were prohibited.

Many of the cases are a sad reminder of human cruelty, Ascolese said.

"It's a lot of weight to carry, it's a heavy burden, but we welcome the challenge and we do it on a daily basis," he said.

The Bergen County Protect and Rescue Foundation is seeking volunteers and accepting monetary and vehicle donations. It is looking for two new or lightly used cargo vans or pickup trucks that can support a 1,000-pound dog carrying box. The shelter is asking only for American-made, air-conditioned vehicles.

To donate, call the shelter at 201-945-0649 or visit www.bcrescues.org/donate.html.